this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2025
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Every damn power plant is a glorified steam engine
Hydro isn't. Nor is solar photo voltaic, wind, or tidal, but yeah, nearly everything else is. In a combined-cycle natural gas or diesel plant half of the power generated isn't steam power, but the other half is.
Hydro is liquid steam
aah, but it didn't say steam, it said boiling water.
smaller gas generators based on internal combustion engines don't boil water though, right?
boiling just makes the water move, hydro just cheats
Electromagnetic induction.
Basically electric motor in reverse...instead of electricity powering the motor, the motor powers electricity.
But the trick is in "what spins the motor". In the case if ICE generators, it's usually a pulley off the crankshaft.
Or it could be moving water.
they heat air, afaik. hot gas expands -> mechanical movement moves magnets -> electromagnetism -> electric power.